Method of making jointed toys and other articles



METHOD OF MAKING JOINTED TOYS AND OTHER ARTICLES x Filled June 22, 1940 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 I 1 5 4 1g. J5

52...". b S 2 1 2 v lnve-nT I "ChFFordJQChu i v WWWX'W June 2, 1942. Y c. c. CHURCH 4 1 2,284,724

" METHOD OF MAKING JOI-NTED TOYS AND OTHER ARTICLES Filed. June 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnVenTo'n CliFFord G. Church Anya.

Patented June 2, 1942 METHOD OF MAKING JOINTED TOYS AND i OTHER ARTICLES Clifford 0. Church, Needham, Mass.

Application June 22, 1940, Serial No. 341,910

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of jointed toys and other articles that are constructed with a plurality of sections that are hingedly connected together so that the various sections of each article can be bent into difierent relative angular positions.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive method of making such toys or other articles. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method of making such jointed articles from material that is die-cut from sheets of cardboard and the like.

In carrying out my invention, I first die-cut from a sheet the'various sections of the jointed article to be produced with the edges of those sections which are to be hinged together in the completed article in abutting relation, and this operation is carried out without removing the various sections from the sheet, so that while the sections are cut from the sheet, they still retain of the sections which have been die-cut from the first sheet, it being understood that the die-cutting of the second sheet is also carried out so that the sections of the article which are diecut therefrom will be retained in their position in the sheet.

Hinge members, preferably of soft metal, are then placed on'the sections of one of the sheets in a position crossing the joint between the abutting edges of the sections that are to be hinged together, and then the two sheets are superposed on each other and adhesively united in a face-toface relation with the lines along which the two sheets have been out registering exactly with each other.

After the two sheets have thus been adhesively united together, then the article to be made, comprising the hinged-together sections, is forced out of the laminated structure. Such article is formed by two laminae adhesively united together with the hinge members between them and serving to hingedly connect the various sections or parts of the complete article.

In order to give an understanding of themvention, I have illustrated it as it might be applied to the manufacture of doll furniture and also as it might be applied to the manufacture of. a doll, but I wish it to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the manufacture sheets.

Fig. 4 is illustrative of the die-cutting operation.

Fig. 4a shows the sheetsbeing assembled after they have been die-cut.

Fig. 4b shows the operation of forcing the articleout of the adhesively united sheets.

Fig. 5 illustrates the article in the form of a dolls chair which has been forced out of the adhesively united sheets.

Fig. 6 shows the sections of the article illus-, trated in Fig. 5 bent into the form of the chair.

H), II, l2, I3, l4 and 15, to form the four sec-' tions I6, ll, i8 and I9. In the illustration, the section l6 represents the seat of a chair, the section ll the back of the chair and the sections 13 and I9 leg portions.

This sheet I is die-cut along the lines above specified to out said sections I6, ll, I8 and 19 from the sheet, but the die-cutting is $0 per formed that the sections still remain in their positions in the sheet I.

In commercial manufacture of articles in accordance with this invention, each sheet I will, of course, have a plurality of groups of sections I6, ll, l8, [9 cut therefrom so as to make the best use possible of the sheet. 1

A second sheet 2 of cardboard or similar material is then similarly die-cut, as shown in Fig.

2, to produce section's lfia, Ila, 18a and Illa which duplicate in size, shape and relative location the sections l6, [1, I8 and [9 of sheet I. This second sheet is also die-cut in'such a way that the sections will remain in the sheet.

The die-cutting operation is illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein d9 represents a bed on which the sheet to be die-cut is supported and AI illustrates the cutting die that is carried by a head d2 capable of vertical movement.

The next step in the process is to assemble with one of the sheets suitable hinge members which extend across the lines of out between sections that are ultimately to be hingedly connected together. In the case of the chair shown in the drawings, this hinging means may be in the form of a T-shaped piece 2a of sheet metal having the two arms 2|, 22, which extend across the lines of cut I4 and I5 between the seat portion It of the chair and the leg portions I2 and IS and also having an arm 23 which extends from the seat section It onto the back section I1 and overlies the line of cut I3 between the seat section and back section. a

After this hinge member has been properly located on the sections IS, IT, I8, I9, while said sections are still retained in the sheet I, then the two sheets I and 2 are superposed on each other with the corresponding lines of cut in the two sheetsregist'ering with each other, so that the corresponding sections I6 and 55a will be exactly in register, and similarly sections Il, Ila, and I8, Mia, and I9, Isa, will exactly register with each other.

The adhesive union between the two sheets I and 2 may be secured by applying a coating of adhesive to the contacting faces of either or both sheets. When the two sheets are firmly pressed together, they will thus become adhesively united,

and the sections I6, 'I'I, I8, I9 of sheet I will become adhesively united to the sections IEia, Ila, ISa, IQa of sheet 2,

It is, of course, desirable that the position of the hinging members 20 should not be disturbed after said members have been applied to the sheet I, and one way of accomplishing this is to provide the sheet I with the coating of adhesive before the hinging members 20 are placed thereon, so that the adhesive will serve to retain the hinging members 26 in their correct positions until after the two sheets have been assembled.

After the sheets have thus been adhesively united together, then the sectional articles which have been cut from the sheets may be pushed therefrom, as shown in Fig. 4b, and where the sheets are die-cut along the pattern shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each article which is thus discharged from the adhesively united sheets will have the construction shown in Fig. 5. If this article is a toy chair, as shown in Fig. 5, then the chair may be completed by bending the sections I8, I9 into a position at right angles to the seat section I6 and bending the back section I! into its proper position relative to the seat portion. The material of the hinging members 20 will preferably be made of soft metal so that they will easily bend and yet will retain any shape into which they are bent. Thus when the leg sections and the back sections of the chair are bent into the chair form shown in Fig. 6, such sections will retain the position while being used.

If desired, the ends of the arms 2I, 22 and 23 of the hinge member 20 may be enlarged by lateral extensions 44 which serve to increase the anchorage of the hinge'member between the two plies of the article. After the sections I6, IBa, and I1, lice, and I8, Ito, and I9, Isa, have been firmly pressed together, the presence of the anchoring projections 44 prevent the sections from being pulled apart.

In the chair shown in Fig. 5, :le leg portions I3, I9, eah have a section removed thus forming the aperture 43. This is done to give the chair a more realistic appearance. Such aperture 43 can be made when the sections are die-cut from the sheet by the simple operation of cutting the holes t3 in the leg portions and then removing the cut-out sections from the holes.

In Figs. 8 to 11, I have illustrated how my invention may be applied in the manufacture of jointed dolls. In so doing, a sheet 30 of cardboard or other similar material will be die-cut along lines SI representing the outline of a doll and may also be out along lines 32 which divide the arms 33 from the body of the doll, and if desired, may be out along transverse lines 34 corresponding generally to the hip line and the knees of the doll. The sheet 38 is also shown as die-cut along the lines 35 to form the feet sections 3? of the doll. This die-cutting of the sheet 30 is done in such a way that the sections 31, 33, 39, 43 and 33 of the doll remain in the sheet A similar sheet 35 is die-cut along similar lines 3|, 32, 3d, 35, but in addition, the sheet 38 may be provided with the cuts 46 extending transversely of the sheet portions 31. This second sheet 36 is also die-cut in such a way that the sections 3?, 38, 39, 30 and 33 remain in the sheet, although I will preferably dislodge from the sheet the portions thereof between the transverse cuts and the heel of each foot portion, thereby forming openings AI in the sheet 36. A hinging member 42 of sheet metal cut to the shape shown in Fig. 10 is then placed on the sheet BI over the sections of the doll. This hinge-forming member 42 is provided with two lateral arms 43 which extend across the lines of cut 32 between the arms 33 and the body of the doll and is also provided with two portions 44 which extend across the lines of cut between the section 33 and the foot portions 31.

The sheet 36 with the cuts along the lines 3!, 32, 34 and 35 is then superposed on the sheet tI with the corresponding cuts in the two sheets in exact register with each other, and the two superposed sheets are then adhesively united, which may be done by applying adhesive to one or both of the contacting faces and then pressing the sheets firmly together.

After the sheets have thus been adhesively united, then the doll is pushed out of the laminated sheet in the manner shown in Fig. 4b. The arms 33 of the doll are then hinged to the body so that they may be swung forwardly or backwardly, and the doll may be made to stand by bending the feet portions down into a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 11, the openings 4| in the upper sheet 36 permitting the hinge portion 44 to bend at a point substantially centrally of the feet so as to provide a properbase for the doll to stand on. The transverse cuts 54 together with the presence of the hinge member 42 permits the body of the doll to be bent at a point just below the waist and at the knees, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 11, thereby giving the doll a sitting position which enables it to sit in the chair such as shown in Fig. 6.

I claim:

1. The method of making articles formed of sections hinged together which consists in diecutting from each of a plurality of sheets but without removing therefrom sections corresponding in shape and size to the separate parts of the article that are to be hinged together and with the edges of the sections that are ultimately to be hingedly connected in abutting relation, placing hinge-forming members on the sections of one sheet in a position to extend across the lines of out between the sections that are to be hinged together, superposing a second die-cut sheet on the first sheet with the die-cut sections of the two sheets registering with each other, adhesively uniting the sheets, and then forcing from the adhesively united sheets the adhesively united die-cut sections as a unit and while connected b the hinge-forming members.

2. The method of making an article comprising several hingedly connected parts, which consists in die-cutting from each of a plurality of sheets sections corresponding in shape and size to the separate parts of the completed article that are hinged together and with the edges of the sections that are ultimately to be hinged connected in abutting relation and so performing the die-cutting operation that the sections remain in the sheet after having been out therefrom, placinghinge-forming members of sheet metal which can be easily bent but which will retain their bent shape on the sections of one sheet in positions to extend across the lines of out between the sections that are to be hinged together, superposing a second die-cut sheet on the first sheet with the corresponding sections of the two sheets. registering with each other, adhesively uniting the sheets, and then forcing from the adhesively united sheets the adhesively united die-cut sections as a. unit which comprises the separate parts of the article connected by the hinge-forming members.

3. The method of making an articlecomprising several hingedly connected parts, which consists in die-cutting from each of a plurality of sheets sections corresponding in shape and size to the separate parts of the completed article that are hinged together and with the edges of the sections that are ultimately to be hingedly connected in abutting relation and so performing the die-cutting operation that the sections remain in the sheet after having been out therefrom, placing hinge-forming members of sheet metal which can be easily bent but which will retain their bent shape on the sections of one sheet in position to extend across the lines of out between the sections that are to be hinged together, superposing a second die-cut sheet on the first sheet with the corresponding sections of the two sheets registering with each other, adhesively uniting the sheets, forcing from the adhesively united sheets the adhesively united diecut sections as a unit which comprises the separate parts of the article connected by the hingeforming members, and then swinging the several parts relative to each other about said hingeforming connections, thereby to'complete the article.

CLIFFORD C. CHURCH. 

